Dansby and Bell are gimmes considering how heavily the defense leans on them, and the fact they are two of the most outspoken individuals on defense. Long is coming off his second straight Pro Bowl season, and Cobbs represents the special teams unit.

This group will hold weekly meetings with coach Tony Sparano, serving as his advisory board during the season.

"The expectations are they provide the right leadership, deliver the right message, and are a little bit of a sounding board at times for the players in that locker room," Sparano said. "Everybody is different and you've got four captains that are different so there's a place for everybody to go and be heard.

"The most important thing they can do is lead by example and send the right message on a day to day basis."

The last time Bell was a captain of anything was his junior season at Eastern Kentucky. He said making sure there's one universal message each week is the most important aspect of his new role.

"You've got to be another voice for the coach, the voice in the locker room," Sparano said. "Often times teammates listen to teammates. They take it more [seriously] coming from a teammate and you've got to be that extension ... You have to be able to get on guys when some others won't. To be a good leader you have to prove it. You can't just go out there on talk. You have to do it on the field, prove you're a guy that's accountable and someone your teammates can follow."